Landlord and Tenant Issues

What can a tenant do about landlord harassment or interference (T2)?

Last updated October 7, 2026.

A tenant who is being harassed, threatened, locked out, entered on illegally, or otherwise substantially disturbed by a landlord, superintendent or property manager can file a T2 application with the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB). It must be filed within one year of the conduct. The Board can order a rent abatement, compensation, an order to stop, and an administrative fine of up to $50,000.

These rights come from sections 22 to 31 of the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, and they apply to most tenants in Hamilton and across Ontario. Some of the same conduct is also an offence that the province can prosecute. If you are dealing with this now, our page on help with landlord and tenant issues explains how Carson Frankum, a licensed paralegal, represents people at the LTB.

How does a T2 application work, step by step?

A T2 is the tenant's main tool when the problem is the landlord's behaviour rather than repairs. Here is the usual path.

Identify which right was breached. A landlord must not substantially interfere with your reasonable enjoyment of the unit or building (s. 22), must not harass, obstruct, coerce, threaten or interfere with you (s. 23), must not change the locks without giving you new keys (s. 24), and may enter only under sections 26 and 27. Section 29(1) lets a tenant or former tenant apply for an order on each of these, and on vital services being withheld (s. 21).
Tell the landlord in writing, if it is safe to do so. The government's Rental Housing Enforcement Unit recommends raising the concern by letter or email first so you have a record. A written complaint also shows the Board you tried to resolve it.
Keep evidence as it happens. The tenant must prove it is more likely than not that the allegations are true (LTB Interpretation Guideline 6). Dated notes, texts, emails, photos, video, witness names and any police or city reports all help. The guideline says the Board looks at the cumulative effect of the landlord's conduct, so a log of incidents matters.
File the T2 within one year. No application can be made more than one year after the conduct (s. 29(2)). For an ongoing problem, Guideline 6 says the year runs from when it ended, but abatement is limited to the year before you filed. The fee is $53, or $48 through the Tribunals Ontario Portal, and a fee waiver can be requested if you qualify.
Ask for an earlier hearing if it is urgent. For a lock-out or a cut-off vital service, Guideline 6 says a request to shorten the time to a hearing can be filed with the application.
Attend the hearing, or settle in mediation. Both sides can bring evidence and witnesses. The LTB can offer a mediation session before the hearing, which our page on mediation at the Landlord and Tenant Board explains.
The Board decides and issues a written order. If it finds a breach, it can order the remedies in the table below (s. 31). If either side thinks the order contains a serious error, a request to review must now be made within 15 days, a deadline shortened from 30 days on July 1, 2026; our page on what to do if you disagree with an LTB order covers the options.

What the LTB can order on a T2 application
Remedy	When it applies	Rule
Rent abatement (refund or reduction of rent)	Any proven breach; up to 100% of the rent for the period, generally limited to the year before filing	RTA s. 31(1)(c); Guideline 6
Order to stop the conduct, toward you or any tenant in the building	Harassment, interference, illegal entry, lock changes, vital services	RTA s. 31(1)(a)
Repair or replacement of damaged or disposed property, and out-of-pocket expenses	Loss caused by the conduct	RTA s. 31(1)(b)
Administrative fine paid to the Board	Up to the greater of $10,000 and the Small Claims Court limit, now $50,000; normally for blatant disregard of the Act	RTA s. 31(1)(d); O. Reg. 626/00; Guideline 6
Higher rent at a new home for one year, plus moving and storage costs	The conduct pushed the tenant to move out	RTA s. 31(2)
Return to the unit after a lock-out	Locks changed without new keys and the unit is vacant; order expires if not filed with the sheriff within 15 days	RTA s. 31(3) to (5)
End the tenancy	If the tenant asks for it	RTA s. 31(1)(e)

What changes the answer?

Whether the conduct is "substantial". Guideline 6 says a minor inconvenience or a brief disruption does not normally lead to an abatement. Examples the guideline gives of interference include excessive noise from a landlord in the same building, abusive communication, unnecessary and excessive notices of entry, and interfering with your right to have visitors.
Whether the landlord was using its legal rights. Serving a proper notice of termination or filing an application is not harassment by itself, and neither is communication for a proper purpose, such as asking about unpaid rent (Guideline 6). A landlord who serves an N5 notice for interference or damage is using the process the Act provides.
Whether the problem is repairs or construction work. Maintenance failures are a T6 matter under section 20, explained on our page about the T6 maintenance application. When the complaint is about repair or renovation work itself, section 8 of O. Reg. 516/06 sets extra tests, and an abatement for work is normally capped at 25% of the monthly rent unless the interference far exceeded what would be expected and the regulation's other conditions are met, such as work done at unreasonable times or for far longer than needed.
Whether a vital service was cut. Heat (in season), hot or cold water, fuel, electricity and gas are vital services (s. 2(1)). Withholding them is a breach under section 21 and an offence under section 233(a). Our page on what to do if a landlord cuts off heat, water or electricity covers the urgent steps.
Who did it. The T2 covers the landlord, superintendent and agent. The landlord can be ordered to pay an abatement for a superintendent's or property manager's conduct, but harassment by another tenant is not a section 23 claim against the landlord, unless the landlord knew and failed to respond reasonably, which can breach section 22 (Guideline 6).
Whether the harassment is tied to a Human Rights Code ground. The Code gives every occupant a right to freedom from harassment by the landlord or its agent because of grounds such as race, disability or family status (Code s. 2(2)). That kind of claim can also go to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, generally within one year (Code s. 34).
Whether you are also facing an arrears hearing. For rent arrears applications filed on or after September 21, 2026, a tenant who wants to raise issues such as harassment at that hearing must pay the landlord half of the arrears claimed at least seven days before it, and still give the advance written description of the issues. A separate T2 is not affected.

What might this look like? A worked example

For example, imagine a Hamilton tenant named Ana who has rented a unit in a fourplex for six years at a rent well below today's market. A new owner buys the building and the superintendent starts knocking on her door several times a week, telling her she "should start looking," posting 24-hour entry notices with no stated reason, and once entering while she was out with no notice at all.

Ana starts a log the same day: dates, times, what was said, and photos of each notice. She emails the owner asking that entries follow the notice rules. The visits continue, so four months later she files a T2 listing illegal entry, harassment and substantial interference, attaching her log and the notices. A notice of entry must state the reason, the day and a time between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. (s. 27(3)), and entry without notice is allowed only in an emergency, with consent, or in the narrow cases in section 26.

At the hearing, the Board considers the cumulative effect of the conduct. If it agrees with Ana, it can order an abatement for the period, order the owner and superintendent to stop, and, if the disregard of the Act was blatant, impose an administrative fine. If the pressure had pushed Ana to move, she could also claim the extra rent at her new home for one year and her moving costs. The amounts depend on the evidence. Separately, Ana can report the conduct to the Rental Housing Enforcement Unit, because knowingly harassing a tenant is an offence (s. 235), and the maximum fine on conviction is now $100,000 for an individual and $500,000 for a corporation (s. 238).

What mistakes do tenants make with T2 applications?

Waiting too long. The one-year limit is firm, and abatement only reaches back one year from filing. Tenants who put up with conduct for years often lose most of the period they could have claimed.
Having no record. "It happened a lot" is hard to prove. A dated log written at the time, with copies of messages and notices, carries far more weight.
Withholding rent in protest. Stopping rent can lead to an eviction application for arrears, and since September 21, 2026 raising your own issues at that hearing first requires paying half the arrears claimed. Keep paying and file the T2.
Choosing the wrong application. Repairs go on a T6, illegal charges on a T1, and bad-faith notices to end the tenancy on a T5; our page on bad-faith evictions and the T5 explains that one. The T2 is for the landlord's conduct, illegal entry, locks and vital services. When unsure, Guideline 6 says to check every ground on the T2 that may apply.
Retaliating. Tenants also must not harass, obstruct, coerce, threaten or interfere with a landlord (s. 36). Responding in kind can weaken your case and expose you to a landlord's application.
Not asking for every remedy. The T2 form lists separate remedies, from abatement to moving costs. Request each remedy you want and explain how you calculated any amount, as the T2 instructions ask.

What should you do this week?

Start a written log of every incident: date, time, who was involved, what happened and who saw it.
Save every notice, text, email and voicemail, and photograph any notices posted on your door.
Write to the landlord describing the problem and asking that it stop, and keep a copy.
If you are locked out or a vital service is off, contact the landlord in writing first, then the city and, for safety threats, the police; record each contact.
Check the date of the earliest incident you want to include and make sure you file within one year of it.
Keep paying rent on time while the dispute continues.
File the T2 through the Tribunals Ontario Portal, ask for a shortened time to hearing if it is urgent, and list every remedy you want.
Consider also contacting the Rental Housing Enforcement Unit about conduct that may be an offence.

For entry disputes specifically, our article on privacy and entry by landlords explains the notice rules in more depth. If your rental is in Hamilton, our page on the Landlord and Tenant Board for Hamilton rentals covers the local side, including city services that can help with vital services and property standards.

Frequently asked questions

What counts as harassment by a landlord in Ontario?

The Act does not define it, so Guideline 6 notes the Board often uses the Human Rights Code definition: a course of vexatious comment or conduct that is known, or ought reasonably to be known, to be unwelcome. Threats, intimidation, repeated pointless visits and pressure to move out are typical examples.

How much notice must a landlord give before entering?

At least 24 hours' written notice, stating the reason, the day and a time between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. (s. 27). Entry without notice is allowed in an emergency, with your consent at the time, or in a few specific cases such as showing the unit after notice to end the tenancy has been given (s. 26).

Can I get money if my landlord forced me to move out?

Yes, if the Board finds the landlord's conduct induced you to leave. It can order the landlord to pay the extra rent you pay for one year at your new home, plus reasonable moving and storage costs (s. 31(2)), within the one-year filing limit.

Can my landlord evict me for filing a T2?

The Board must refuse an eviction if the reason for the landlord's application is that the tenant tried to enforce their legal rights (s. 83(3)(c)). Harassing a tenant for seeking relief under the Act is also an offence (s. 233(h)).

Can a former tenant still file a T2?

Yes. Section 29(1) allows a tenant or former tenant to apply, as long as the application is filed within one year of the conduct.

What is the difference between an LTB fine and a court fine?

An administrative fine on a T2 is ordered by the Board and paid to it, up to the greater of $10,000 and the Small Claims Court limit. A court fine follows a prosecution for an offence in the Ontario Court of Justice, with maximums of $100,000 for individuals and $500,000 for corporations since July 1, 2026.

Sources

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This page gives general information about Ontario law, not legal advice for your situation. Cheddar Paralegal PC is a paralegal firm licensed by the Law Society of Ontario; licensed paralegals can help only with matters the Law Society allows paralegals to handle.